Telephone box or cabinet



. I. SPARKS. TELEPHONE BOX 05 CABINET.

(Application filed Mar. 22 1898.)

Patented Nov. I, I898.

(No Model.)

WITNESSE I INVEN OR J T 2 7H2 NORRIS Firms :0 pnorourwun WASHINGTON. ncy NITED ST TE-s PATENT OFFICE.-

TELEPHONE BOX OR CABINET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 1\T0. 613,533, datedNovember 1, 1898. Application file'd March 22, 1898- Serial No- 674 83l.(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, 'ISHMAEL SPARKS, a citi- Zen of the United States,residing at Santa F, in the county of Santa F and Territory of NewMexico, have invented certain'new and useful Improvements in Telephon eBoxes or Cabinets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to improvements in boxes or cabinets fortelephones, and particularly for telephones using automatic calldevices.

It consists in providing a cabinet with an inclosure or box having apartition for separating the battery receptacle or closure from theclosure holding the call mechanism and the electromagnets, the fronts ofthe upper and lower closures in said box being adapted to be opened andthe top of the said box being closed by a movable writing board or pad.

It also consists of certain other novel constructions, combinations, andarrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described andclaimed. 7

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view ofmyjmproved telephone-cabinet, the top and front of the same beingclosed. Fig. 2 represents a perspective view of the same with the frontthrown open and the top board slightly lifted off; and Fig. 3 representsa vertical section through the said cabinet, showing the means forfastening the fronts and top in place.

A in the drawings represents a main back board; B B, sides forming apart of the closures; O, the swinging front of the upper 'closure; D,the removable front of the lower closure, and E a removable top orwriting which is not only compact and neat in its appearance, but isparticularly well adapted to this class of telephones and for theopening and examining of the mechanical parts mounted therein.

In carrying out my invention I contemplate consolidating the mechanismand mounting itall within one structure, except the transmitter and thealarm-bells. The back board A has secured to it the side boards B B,which extend the entire length of the closures hold ing the batteriesand the call and magnet mechanisms. A bottom board, as b, is securedbetween the lower ends of the side boards and to the back to support thebatteries used in these telephones. A partition, as b, is also securedbetween the side boards B B a little above their central portions, so asto divide the boxes into two receptacles, sufficient room being left inthe lower receptacle for the batteries and their connections. Thepartition I) not only forms a division or wall between the upper andlower closures, but is used as a shelf or support for the magnets andthe alarm mechanism, parts of said mechanism resting directly upon thesaid partition or shelf and the other parts being secured to the backand sides of the receptacle. The battery-receptacle is closed by meansof a movable board or door, as D, the said board fitting between thesides B B and having its upper edge shaped to extend into an opening, asb formed upon the under side of the partition 1).. A shallow groove, asd, is also formed upon the inner side of the said board, near its lowerend, to fit upon the front edge of the lower board or bottom I). Alockor bolt, as d, is secured to the front board at its lower end andengages a groove or keeper 5 formed in the lower board or bottom I). Akey of any suitable design or shape may be used to operate this lookfrom the outside, so that when the front board or door D is put in placeand locked there it cannot be opened by unauthorized hands.

The upper closure is closed in front by means of a movable piece orboard, as O. This door or board 0 is preferably hinged to the front edgeof the partition 19 and has secured to its inner face the automatic callmechanism, as at c. The main spindle of the call mechanism extendsthrough the front board 0 and engages an operating-dial, as c, by whichthe automatic call or exchange mechanism is operated. hen the frontboard 0 is closed, it is locked in place by any suitable meansinteriorly of the receptacle, preferably hooks, as 0 engaging eyes orsockets, as 0 mounted on the inner face of the door 0. The magnets andcoils for operating the alarm mechanism are mounted upon the board I)and the back of the top closure, as at F. An arm, as G, for holding thetelephone-receiver is pivoted to the back board interiorly of the upperclosure and extends through a slot, as at 13 formed in one of the sideboardsB. The outer end of the said lever is forked in the usual way tosupport the telephone-receiver H. The top of the upper receptacle isclosed by means of a narrow fixed strip, as e, and the removable boardE. The alarm-bells, as a a, are mounted on the back board justabove thestrip a, and the transmitter is mounted near the upper end of the saidback board A. The striker for operating the alarm-bells extends througha suitable opening formed in the narrow strip 6. Beginning at the frontedge of the narrow strip a the upper edges of the side boards arebeveled forward, and the top board E, resting upon these edges, istherefore inclined at a desirable angle for use as a desk orwriting-support. In order to secure the top board E in place, Ipreferably secure to the under side thereof cleats, as 6, having theirrear ends projecting slightly beyond the rear ends of the board, so thatthey take under or engage the under surface of the narrow strip 6 whenthe top board is put in place. Near the forward edges of the top board Eare secured bent clips or engaging pieces, as 8 having their front endsprojecting downwardly and provided with curved contacting end portions,as c. hen the board is placed in position and the front edge forceddownwardly, the curved depending ends e of the pieces 6 will engage andsnap over the ends of catches or detents c A convenient way of formingthese detents c is by using screws therefor and screwing them therequired distance into the front board 0. The lower edge of the topboard is provided with a ledge or projection, as 6 to hold a writingtablet or paper from slipping off of the said top board. In order toaccommodate the moving parts of the call mechanism mounted upon thefront board 0, a groove or slot, as at b, may be cut or formed in thepartition I).

It will be evident from the above description that the parts of thetelephone may be mounted in a box of this character with a great degreeof compactness and are practically all inclosed within one box, while atthe same time the operating mechanism is separated from the batterymechanism in such a manner that the call-operating mechanism may beinspected or repaired at any time, while the battery maybe kept underlock and key, so as not to be disturbed by unauthorized persons. 3yconstructing the upper receptacle with a movable top and a hinged frontcarrying a portion of the call mechanism it may be readily thrown openand in such a way that the parts are so exposed as to render them easyto reach both for the purpose of cleaning or repairing the same.

It will be evident that the combination and arrangement of the parts maybe slightly varied or modified and the box may be formed with anydesirable configuration or design work upon the exterior and that thedesign may be varied according to the taste without departing from thespirit of my invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a telephone cabinet or box, the combination with a back board, ofa box mounted upon the front thereof, the said box being provided with apartition for forming an upper and lower closure therein, a removablefront board or door for the lower closure, and a swinging or hingedfront carrying part of the call mechanism for the upper closure, and

a removable top or writing-cover closing the upper closure, theconstruction being such that the batteries may be mounted in the lowerclosure While the call mechanism and magnets may be mounted in the upperclosure, substantially as described.

2. In a telephone-cabinet, the combination with a box formed thereon, ofa partition for dividing the said box into an upper and lower closure, amovable front for closing the upper closure, adapted to carrya portionof the call mechanism, means for locking the said front board in itsclosed position, a removable top board provided with means to engagedetents mounted on the inner surface of the front board and a door forthe lower closure, substantially as described.

3. In a telephone-cabinet, the combination with a box, of a partitionfor dividing the same into two closures, a removable door for closingthe lower closure, the said door e11- gaging at its upper end a grooveformed in the partition and having a look at its lower end, whereby itmay be closed so as to prevent unauthorized tampering with the batteriesinclosed in the said lower closure, a swinging front for closing theupper closure, and a removable top therefor, substantially as described.

4,. In a telephone-cabinet, the combination with a suitable box havingan upper and lower closure formed therein, a narrow fixed strip and aremovable top for closing the upper closure, cleats mounted upon theunder side of the top board and adapted to engage the fixed strip andclips or bent pieces secured to the under side of the said top boardnear its forward edge, and detents mounted upon the front board of theupper closure for engaging the said clips whereby the upper board isheld firmly in place, substantially as described.

5. In a telephone cabinet or box, the combination with a back board, ofa box mounted upon the front thereof, the said box being nets may bemounted in the upper closure, 10 provided with a partition for formingan upsubstantially as described.

per and lower closure therein, amovable front In testimony whereof Ihereunto affix my board or door for the lower closure, and a signaturein presence of two witnesses. movable front for the upper closure, and amovable top or writing-cover closing the up- ISHMAEL SPARKS per closure,the construction being such that Witnesses:

the batteries may be mounted in the lower G. L. SOLIGNORE,

closure, while the call mechanism and mag- S. D. LASIER.

